There was no shortage of great games this year. In fact, it seemed as though a top-notch title came out every other week. With plenty of contenders, it was hard narrowing my top games to just 10. I had to leave out downloadable gems like “Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light,” “Minecraft” and “Limbo.”

The packed calendar also meant that I didn’t get too much time with heralded projects such as “Vanquish” or “StarCraft 2.” Missing out on those two are the biggest regrets I had all year. But overall, it’s hard to argue against 2010’s lineup. It was one of the strongest in years, topping even 2008.

1. “Red Dead Redemption” — While “Bayonetta” has the style, Rock Star San Diego’s gun-slinging saga has the substance. The studio created a gorgeous vision of the Wild West and filled it with compelling characters and a range of stories. The breadth of experiences is breathtaking and it’s all held together by John Marston, one of the best heroes in years. It’s the only game this year that’s truly epic.

2. “Bayonetta” — Designer Hideki Kamiya returns to the genre he helped establish and upends it with the most stylish action of the year. Although the story is convoluted, the quick-twitch gameplay and visuals flow effortlessly, complementing each other. No other title felt so right on a visceral level. Add in the over-the-top boss battles and players have the formula for a satisfying spectacle.

3. “Super Mario Galaxy 2” — So what can amazing level design do? Well, if Nintendo and legendary designer Shigeru Miyamoto has anything to say, it can do plenty. Despite a ho-hum story (which is expected in Mario games), the team creates an adventure that endlessly amazes even the most jaded gamers. It proves that sometimes, cleverly crafted levels can trump everything else.

4. “Mass Effect 2” — BioWare makes good on its promise of a sci-fi trilogy that lets players take a hero and carry him or her over a series of games. There are some branching plot points, but nothing that creates a drastically different experience. In the second go-round, the team streamlines a combat system and creates a meaningful adventure for first-timers and old fans alike.

5. “Heavy Rain” — Quantic Dream breaks plenty of boundaries with this unconventional murder-mystery. Players take on the roles of four characters who are each tied to the origami serial killer. The gameplay is less action-based and focused more on playing the role of each protagonist and making meaningful split-second decisions. This game is so immersive that it feels wrong not to be in character when behind the controller.

6. “Gran Turismo 5” — It was a long time coming but Polyphony Digital’s eagerly anticipated racing game was definitely worth the wait. The team revamped the physics along with the visuals to give players the most realistic experience on a console. Add in the community features and “Gran Turismo 5” is the best racer to come out in a while.

7. “Splinter Cell: Conviction” — Ubisoft manages to keep its spy series fresh with this reboot. Sam Fisher returns to clear his name and rescue a daughter he thought was dead. The cat-and-mouse stealth gameplay is a smart coupled with a brilliant presentation that never takes the players out of the experience.

8. “Halo: Reach” — Bungie’s crafts a final hurrah worthy of the epic series. Players will join a team of Spartans defending humanity’s last military bastion. The studio adopts some squad-based team gameplay to create a refreshing entry to the franchise. If “Reach” doesn’t make you a fan of the Halo universe, nothing will.

9. “Dead Rising 2” — Blue Castle Games was one of several studios that came out of nowhere with an impressive offering. Tasked with the follow-up to one of the best zombie games ever, the studio improved on a winning formula with new weapon combinations and a bigger, better world in Fortune City. The team made a great game even better.

10. “Call of Duty: Black Ops” — Treyarch proved that it can create a game just as compelling as Infinity Ward’s releases with this take on semi-modern warfare. Taking place in the Cold War era, “Black Ops” features the best story in any “Call of Duty” game and the solid multiplayer experience that has kept the franchise atop the charts.

Violent police encounters in California last year led to the deaths of 157 people and six officers, the state attorney general’s office said Thursday in a report that provides the first statewide tally on police use-of-force incidents.